International Creative Women

When we leave our country, family, and loved ones behind to move to the other side of the world, it can sometimes take a minute to feel at home. Last year, when I moved to the Netherlands from India, I faced the same predicament. Lucky for me, I found International Creative Women! They welcomed me with open arms, and the support I have gotten from them is overwhelming. All the members of the group strive to help others, and it is this feeling of solidarity that one so desperately seeks in a foreign land.

Founded less than two years back by two incredible women, the community has now grown to more than 150 ladies from over 40 different countries. At the heart of it all, the community provides an opportunity for internationals to integrate themselves into an innovative and diverse

environment that helps them realize their true potential. I first met these talented ladies at a Coffee and Ideas session before the pandemic, and it was absolutely delightful! For the first time, I felt like I was with like-minded people, and as though it wouldn’t be a big hassle to open a small business here, not when I had these lovely ladies supporting me!

But then the pandemic hit, and morals went down. People felt unproductive at home and spirits were low. Even then, the community was hard at work organizing online events to keep people inspired and productive. In an attempt to spread positive vibes during the pandemic, many of us got together to make free handmade cards to send to the elderly, and anyone who needed messages of support. More than 200 cards were made, full of colours and love, which brought many smiles!

As workshops or meetings could not be arranged due to the pandemic, Well-being Weeks were introduced. Over the course of four weeks, numerous talented ladies gave online talks and workshops to deal with the crisis, and spread positive messages. The idea was to stay connected, stay active, and

innovate. Seeing those bright happy faces on video calls was truly fabulous, and gave something to look forward to in those difficult times!

The Spring Together Market was canceled due to the pandemic, but in a great stroke of reinvention, they launched the first Online Market. In fact, it was the Online Market that spurred me to finally start my own small business, and it was just the push I needed. It truly shows how essential it is to have a platform to fully utilize our creative potential. Having the Online Market kept us motivated and creative, while providing us visibility and attracting customers to our online shops. For the customers, it was a great way to support local businesses from the safety of their own homes. Talk about made for each other!

Following the huge success of these online ventures, the Entrepreneurship Weeks were launched. Several experts spoke about marketing, communication, entrepreneurship, and many other informative topics. This helped small business owners like me gain insight into various subjects and remain resourceful even during these difficult times. These online events turned out to be entrepreneurial milestones for many of the members. Some gave their first-ever online

workshop, others set up their online shop, and some even sold their products for the first time! They took a small idea of going online, and created something wonderful out of it.

International Creative Women is open to all men and women from anywhere in the world who wish to connect, share, learn, and grow together. They are in the process of setting up a location in the city centre of Eindhoven, so that more people can come and join the adventures! It will be a space to keep co-creating, learning, sharing, and pursuing our goals. They hope to help people who feel like they don’t fit in, and provide them with a sense of belonging. The diversity of the group is what distinguishes us, but also enables us to achieve great things. It’s always easier to do hard things together, and this community is the perfect place for that!

Anwesha Dutta Creator of @theinkcatalog http://www. internationalcreativewomen.nl

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